It's fair to say that Mario Balotelli hasn't quite hit the ground running at Liverpool, and according to his agent that could be down to his struggle to cope with the high demands of manager Brendan Rodgers.

Balotelli has scored just one Barclays Premier League goal this season - and cryptically revealed on Wednesday that 'someone doesn't like me'.

And his agent Mino Raiola says Rodgers is asking more of him than any other manager has done in a career that has seen him work under the likes of Jose Mourinho and Roberto Mancini.

Mario Balotelli has spent a fair amount of time on the bench after finding it tough to meet expectations

Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers asks Balotelli to track back, something he has never been asked to do

'Right now, I think Mario has a very interesting development for his career,' Raiola said. 'He has found a coach who asks of him things that had never been requested of him until now, including the discipline of running without the ball.

But Raiola sees the challenge issued to Balotelli as a positive - despite the expectation that he will be cast off by the Anfield club in the summer.

'This allows him to grow as a person and as a football player,' Raiola told RMC. 'He'll come out even stronger.'

Balotelli is again expected to start on the bench when Liverpool face Blackburn Rovers in their FA Cup quarter-final on Sunday.

Balotelli looks towards Rodgers as he is subbed off in Liverpool's defeat against Besiktas in Turkey

The Italian striker heads down the tunnel at Anfield ahead of another appearance on the bench on Wednesday

Balotelli celebrates scoring a penalty in the first leg against Besiktas but his Premier League form is lacking